30/10/10…..Fluke goal leads to Thame defeat

MATCH REPORT – League Game 30/10/10 – Thame United 1, Slimbridge 2;

Thame United got most of it right last Saturday when they lost an entertaining game 1-2 to Gloucestershire side Slimbridge. They had most of the first half possession, defended well, attacked imaginatively and created some good chances. Thame?s problem was that these chances were then wasted. Slimbridge were on the back foot for most of the game but when half chances came their way, they converted them into goals. As a result, Slimbridge are now top of the league whilst United dropped a place and are now 18th.

The game saw Connor Hunt make his first start for Thame, who controlled the first half. In the opening ten minutes, both Sam Cowan and James Saulsbury met corners with far post headers which were inches wide. Most of the play was in the Slimbridge half with the visitors largely restricted to occasional counter attacks. Their defence was however well organised, and they contained the threat from Thame wingers, Ben Connelly and Luke Ricketts. Chances were few although Adam Rhodes went close with a volley; Cowan forced a good save from the keeper and an Alex Stuart goal-bound shot was bravely blocked. The game was goalless at half time.

United had a good chance following the restart, when a through ball found Mark Jones at the edge of the area, but he was unable to get his shot away before being closed down. The deadlock was broken 2 minutes later when the ball was deflected to visiting striker Mike Bryant, who reacted quickly to hit a lucky shot just inside the right hand goalpost. Even the visiting supporters admitted that the goal was a fluke. A few minutes later Thame keeper Milan Barisic made an outstanding close-range save. Thame fought back and possession was fairly even for the rest of the game.

The equaliser was bizarre. Following a free kick, the ball was headed in the 6-yard box by several forwards and defenders before a goal-bound header was deflected wide by the keeper. The linesman however immediately flagged, and after talking to him, the referee signaled handball and pointed to the penalty spot. The linesman had seen an infringement which was missed by referee, players and spectators alike. After the inevitable protests subsided, Alex Stuart buried the resultant spot kick.

The visitors regained the lead 3 minutes later when the ball was played, from a free kick, to Bryant who hit a well-placed shot pass Barisic from 15-yards. Thame pressed for the remaining 15 minutes, and, with 5 minutes left, Cowan forced a terrific save from the visiting keeper.

Thame United: Barisic, Barr, Newell, Cowan, Saulsbury, Hunt (N Rhodes), Connelly, A Rhodes, Stewart, Jones (MacDonald) (Meredith), Ricketts.

CONTRIBUTED by Bob Dixon